1987 in American television

For the United States network television schedule, please see 1987-88 United States network television schedule.

Events

January 5 - Remington Steele returns to NBC after a six-month hiatus during which series star Pierce Brosnan won the film role of James Bond, only to lose it when NBC unexpectedly renewed the series. Steele adopts a TV-movie length format but only runs for a few installments before being cancelled for good.
January 22 - R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a televised press conference. The decision by some broadcasters to air the footage leads to a debate over boundaries in journalism.
January–February - PBS broadcasts the critically-acclaimed Eyes on the Prize series.
February 8-February 15 - The miniseries Amerika, showing life ten years after the United States is defeated and occupied by the USSR, is broadcast on ABC.
February 15 - The television movie event The Facts of Life Down Under airs on NBC.
April 19 - Matt Groening's The Simpsons debuts as a series of short animated segments on The Tracey Ullman Show.
May - The sitcom Mr. Belvedere is canceled after three seasons. Heavy backlash causes ABC executives to rethink the decision and bring the show back. Since the fall programming schedules were already written, Mr. Belvedere does not premiere until late October.
May 15 - Pam Ewing's car speeds out of control, crashes into a tanker, and explodes on the season finale of Dallas.
June 30 — July 31 - U.S. daytime television is interrupted for the Iran-Contra hearings.
July 15 - Genie Francis, of General Hospital fame, starts a new soap role as Diana Colville on Days of Our Lives, which she will play until 1989.
September 7 - Sylvester McCoy becomes the seventh actor to play the Doctor in BBC One's long-running Doctor Who.
September 11 - Dan Rather of the CBS Evening News stomps out of the news cast when a televised tennis match runs two minutes over. He is missing for six minutes.
November 4 - November 18 - Damon and Debbie becomes the first 'soap bubble'. It was a miniseries which took two characters from Brookside into new locations and their own story.
November 11 - On As the World Turns, Lily Walsh loses her virginity to Dusty Donovan. The storyline was a subject of controversy (see Martha Byrne for more).
November 13 - Sonny and Cher reunite for a performance on Late Night with David Letterman.
November 22 - During a showing of the Doctor Who story Horror of Fang Rock, Chicago, Illinois PBS station WTTW-TV Channel 11 is interrupted for eighty-eight seconds by a pirate television transmitter overriding the station's transmission signal to broadcast a video of himself in a Max Headroom mask being spanked. This incident has subsequently gained a degree of cult myth about it.
CBS becomes the last American network to cease a chime intonation at the beginning of telecasts; satellite feeds have made the tones obsolete (their job was to signal to the affiliates to start airing the network feed in sync with everyone else).
Televangelist Jim Bakker is involved in a sex scandal, which causes him to step down as the host of The P.T.L. Club.
In spite of initial network objections, Bob Barker, host of The Price is Right, ceases dying his hair brown and allows it to appear as its natural white on TV. He does this as a protest against the way animals are used to make the products.
227 star Jackée Harry changes her name to "Jackée," which she goes by until 1994.

Debuts

January 6 - Inspector Morse premieres on ITV (1987-2000).
March 23 - The Bold and the Beautiful premieres (1987-present).
April 5 - Married... with Children premieres (1987-1997).
April 5 - The Tracey Ullman Show premieres (1987-1990).
July 5 - Watching premieres on ITV (1987-1993).
September 7 - Knightmare premieres on ITV (1987-1994).
September 11 - Duck Tales premieres in syndication (1987-1990)
September 22 - Full House premieres (1987-1995).
September 24 - A Different World premieres (1987-1993).
September 26 - Chucklevision premieres on BBC One (1987-present).
September 26 - Going Live! premieres on BBC One (1987-1993).
September 28 - Star Trek: The Next Generation debuts in first-run syndication. A long-sought-after revival of the 1960s Star Trek: The Original Series, TNG would run for seven successful seasons and would launch one of the most successful series of programs in television history. Four consecutive series would run for the next 18 years, until the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise on May 13, 2005 (1987-1994).
September 29 - thirtysomething premieres on BBC One (1987-1991).
December 10 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premieres (1987-1996).
Beadle's About premieres on ITV (1987-1996).

Television shows

1940s

Meet the Press (1947-present).
Candid Camera (1948-present).
Come Dancing (UK) (1949-1995).

1950s

Truth or Consequences (1950-1988).
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951-present).
American Bandstand (1952-1989).
Guiding Light (1952-present).
The Today Show (1952-present).
Panorama (UK) (1953-present).
Face the Nation (1954-present).
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992).
This Is Your Life (UK) (1955-2003).
As the World Turns (1956-present).
What the Papers Say (UK) (1956-present).
The Sky at Night (UK) (1957-present).
Blue Peter (UK) (1958-present).
Grandstand (UK) (1958-present)

1960s

Coronation Street (UK) (1960-present).
Four Corners (Australia) (1961-present).
It's Academic (1961-present).
The Late Late Show (Ireland) (1962-present).
Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present).
General Hospital (1963-present).
Another World (1964-1999).
Crossroads (UK) (1964-1988, 2001-2003).
Top of the Pops (UK) (1964-present).
Days of Our Lives (1965-present).
Play School (1966-present).
The Money Programme (UK) (1966-present).
60 Minutes (1968-present).
One Life to Live (1968-present).
Hee Haw (1969-1993).
Sesame Street (1969-present).
The Benny Hill Show (UK) (1969-1989)

1970s

All My Children (1970-present).
Monday Night Football (1970-present).
Masterpiece Theatre (1971-present).
Soul Train (1971-present).
Emmerdale Farm (UK) (1972-present).
John Craven's Newsround (UK) (1972-present).
The Price Is Right (1972-present).
Last of the Summer Wine (UK) (1973-present).
The Young and the Restless (1973-present).
Derrick (1974-1998).
Wish You Were Here...? (UK) (1974-present).
Arena (UK) (1975–present).
Good Morning America (1975-present).
Jim'll Fix It (UK) (1975-1994).
Ryan's Hope (1975-1989).
Saturday Night Live (1975-present).
the fifth estate (Canada) (1975-present).
Wheel of Fortune (1975-present).
20/20 (1978-present).
Dallas (1978-1991).
Grange Hill (UK) (1978-present).
Knots Landing (1979-1993).
The Facts of Life (1979-1988).
You Can't Do That on Television (Canada) (1979-1990).
Antiques Roadshow (UK) (1979-present).
Nightline (1979-present).
This Old House (1979-present).

1980s

Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988).
Solid Gold (1980-1988).
Dynasty (1981-1989).
Entertainment Tonight (1981-present).
Falcon Crest (1981-1990).
Simon & Simon (1981-1988).
What Now (1982-present)
Timewatch (UK) (1982-present)
Cagney & Lacey (1982-1988).
Cheers (1982-1993).
Family Ties (1982-1989).
Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993).
Newhart (1982-1990).
St. Elsewhere (1982-1988).
The Journal (Canada) (1982-1992).
Fraggle Rock (1983-1988).
Loving (1983-1995).
Webster (1983-1989).
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (UK) (1984-1988, 1991-1994).
Highway to Heaven (1984-1989).
Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present).
Kate and Allie (1984-1989).
Miami Vice (1984-1989).
Mother and Son (Australia) (1984-1994).
Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996).
Night Court (1984-1992).
Punky Brewster (1984-1988).
Santa Barbara (1984-1993).
Tales from the Darkside (1984-1988).
The Bill (UK) (1984-present).
The Cosby Show (1984-1992).
Who's the Boss? (1984-1991).
227 (1985-1990).
EastEnders (UK) (1985-present).
Growing Pains (1985-1992).
It's a Living (1980-1982, 1985-1989).
MacGyver (1985-1992).
Moonlighting (1985-1989).
Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990).
Neighbours (Australia) (1985-present).
Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-1983, 1985-1993, 1996-1997, 2001-2003) (the only episode aired this year was the Christmas special The Frog's Legacy).
Sally (1985-2002).
T-Bag Bounces Back (There were various T-Bag series between 1985 and 1992)
The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964, 1985-1988, 2002).
What's Happening Now!! (1985-1988).
ALF (1986-1990).
Amen (1986-1991).
Designing Women (1986-1993).
Double Dare (1986-1993).
Hey Dad...! (Australia) (1986-1994).
L.A. Law (1986-1994).
Mama's Family (1983-1984, 1986-1990).
Matlock (1986-1995).
Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991).
Perfect Strangers (1986-1993).
The Disney Sunday Movie (1986-1988).
The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-present).
Casualty (UK) (1986-present).
Comic Relief (UK) (1986-present).
Tales of the Unexpected (UK) (1979-1985, 1987-1988).

Ending this year

3-2-1 (UK) (1978-1987).
The A-Team (1983-1987).
March 20 - Capitol (1982-1987).
Countdown (Australia) (1974-1987).
Fame (1982-1987).
Gimme a Break! (1981-1987).
Hill Street Blues (1981-1987).
October - The Jetsons (1962-1963, 1984-1985, 1987).
Whistle Test (UK) (1971-1987).
The P.T.L. Club (1976-1987).
Remington Steele (1982-1987).
Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983-1987).
Silver Spoons (1982-1987).
Today's Special (Canada) (1981-1987).

Made for television movies

Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story.

Changes of network affiliation

Punky Brewster, formerly an NBC series, resumes after a 1-year production hiatus in first-run syndication.
Webster moves from ABC to first-run syndication.

Births

March 9 - Bow Wow, rapper.
September 28 - Hilary Duff, actress (Lizzie McGuire) and singer.

Deaths

February 22 - David Susskind, 66, commentator and producer.
March 21 - Dean Paul Martin, 35, actor on Misfits of Science and son of Dean Martin.
May 4 - Cathryn Damon, 56, actress on Soap and Webster.
June 24 - Jackie Gleason, 71, comedian.
August 6 - Quinn Martin, 65, producer.
September 22 - Dan Rowan, 65, comedian, co-host of Laugh-In.